Highlights The joint effect of maintenance cost and time on the system reliability is analyzed ... more Highlights The joint effect of maintenance cost and time on the system reliability is analyzed A cost-based IIM is proposed, and its characteristics are explored. An application to a wind turbine system is used to illustrate its usage.
For a generalized geometric process (GGP), the geometric ratio changes with the number of repairs... more For a generalized geometric process (GGP), the geometric ratio changes with the number of repairs rather than a constant. The GGP is a more flexible maintenance model that can reflect the varying of the repair effect to the system. On the basis of the GGP, two imperfect preventive maintenance (PM) models are studied. First, we assume that the system is preventively maintained periodically after every T time unit, and is correctively repaired at failure. The corrective repair is a minimal repair that just restores the system to work, while the PM results in a GGP, i.e., the lifetime sequence of a system after PM constitute a decreasing GGP. The long-run average cost rate C(N, T) of the system is derived, and the optimal bivariate policy (N * , T *) is determined by minimizing C(N, T), where N is the number of PMs before replacement. Next, a sequential PM model is investigated for a system in which a sequential time interval to be determined for PM. An algorithm is given to seek the optimal replacement policy N * and the optimal time intervals T * 1 , T * 2 ,. .. , T * N between PMs. By assuming that the lifetime of the system is Weibull distributed, the optimal policy is obtained explicitly. In both models, numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the approaches developed. Index Terms-Average cost rate (ACR), generalized geometric process (GGP), optimal policy, preventive maintenance (PM), replacement. NOMENCLATURE GP Geometric process. GGP Generalized geometric process. PM Preventive maintenance. CDF Cumulative distribution function. ACR Average cost rate. λ(t) Failure rate function of a new system. λ j (t) Failure rate function of a system after (j − 1)th PM. Λ(t) Cumulative damage function. Λ j (t) Cumulative damage function of a system after (j − 1)th PM. a n Geometric ratio of the nth PM.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2015
Purpose – In today’s market, firms are riding on the wave of globalisation to enhance competitive... more Purpose – In today’s market, firms are riding on the wave of globalisation to enhance competitiveness through corporate collaboration in new product development (NPD). In joint NPD, huge amounts of information and knowledge are interchanged among business partners. However, industrial experience and past research have indicated that knowledge sharing among firms invite opportunism, that is, knowledge being leaked or misused by others. To determine the means to rectify the problems of opportunism in joint NPD, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of commitment and knowledge sharing on opportunism. Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the research model with 312 valid responses from manufacturing firms. The survey data were analysed by structural equation modelling, and the findings were verified by follow-up interviews. Findings – Contradictory to most studies, this study finds that knowledge sharing among committed bu...
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2010
PurposeWhile the beneficial impact of supply chain integration (SCI) and modular product design a... more PurposeWhile the beneficial impact of supply chain integration (SCI) and modular product design are generally acknowledged, few empirical studies have examined how an organization can achieve better performance through SCI with modular product design. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between SCI and modular product design, as well as their impact on product performance.Design/methodology/approachBy surveying 251 manufacturers in Hong Kong, structural equation modelling is used to test the research constructs and the hypothesized model.FindingsThe results confirm that information sharing, product co‐development and organizational coordination are crucial organizational processes within SCI. Companies that have high levels of product modularity appear to be good at product co‐development and organizational coordination directly and at information sharing indirectly. Furthermore, companies that have high levels of product co‐development or product modularity app...
A new approach for improving the wear performances of nylon 6 (PA6)/clay nanocomposites was exami... more A new approach for improving the wear performances of nylon 6 (PA6)/clay nanocomposites was examined in this study. Two hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) and a well-dispersed PA6/clay nanocomposite, but with and without the incorporation of maleicanhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) as compatibilizer. The addition of MAPP improved the compatibility between TLCP and matrix and thus enhanced the fibrillation of dispersed TLCP phase. Wear-testing results revealed that the wear resistance of the compatibilized hybrid nanocomposite could be improved effectively, as indicated by the low values of specific wear rate and frictional coefficient, especially under high-normal load (i.e., 80 N). Based on the characterization on the worn damage and the debris, it was suggested that abrasive wear was the main-damage mechanism for all the materials under investigation, except for the compatibilized hybrid nanocomposite. For this system, the wear damage was caused by a combination of abrasive and adhesive wearing because of the formation of transfer film on the counter pin surface from the wear debris.
... Continuous state reliability models assume that the state of the device can be repre-sented b... more ... Continuous state reliability models assume that the state of the device can be repre-sented by a continuous variable. ... Charlesworth & Rao [2] use multistate fault trees to ap-proximate the reliability of a continuous state system. ...
Algorithms have been available for exact performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems... more Algorithms have been available for exact performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems. However, especially for complex systems with a large number of components, and a large number of possible states, obtaining "reliability bounds" would be an interesting, significant issue. Reliability bounds will give us a range of the system reliability in a much shorter computation time, which allow us to make decisions more efficiently. The systems under consideration are multi-state k-out-of-n systems with i.i.d. components. We will focus on the probability of the system in states below a certain state d, denoted by Qsd. Based on the recursive algorithm proposed by Zuo & Tian [14] for performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems with i.i.d. components, a reliability bounding approach is developed in this paper. The upper, and lower bounds of Qsd are calculated by reducing the length of the k vector when using the recursive algorithm. Using the bounding approach, we can obtain a good estimate of the exact Qsd value while significantly reducing the computation time. This approach is attractive, especially to complex systems with a large number of components, and a large number of possible states. A numerical example is used to illustrate the significance of the proposed bounding approach.
Abstract In this study, a kind of novel all-cellulose ecocomposites based on cellulose and rice h... more Abstract In this study, a kind of novel all-cellulose ecocomposites based on cellulose and rice husk (RH) has been prepared by using green solvent, ionic liquid (IL), as processing medium. Due to the presence of the RH, these ecocomposites also contain an inorganic ...
In this article, we report a novel surface modification method for cellulose fiber that is based ... more In this article, we report a novel surface modification method for cellulose fiber that is based on supramolecular assembly.-Cyclodextrin (-CD) was first covalently grafted onto the fiber surface. Then poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) oligomers having both ends capped with adamantane motifs (i.e., PCL-AD) were immobilized to the cellulose fiber surface through the host-guest inclusion complexation between-CD and AD motif. FTIR-ATR and XPS analyses confirmed the successful assembly of PCL-ADs, which was further supported by the increasing trend of weight gain with the concentration of CDs on the fiber surface. Contact angle and TGA measurements reflect the enhanced hydrophobicity and thermal stability of the cellulose fiber as a consequence of this modification. The morphologies of the cellulose fiber before and after the assembly process have also been compared by SEM.
Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of... more Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of a firm that facilities and supports its technological innovation strategies. An audit to evaluate the TICs of a firm may trigger improvement in its future practices. Such an audit can be used by the firm for self assessment or third-party independent assessment to identify problems of its capability status. This paper attempts to develop such an auditing framework that can help to determine the subtle links between innovation capabilities and business performance; and to enable the auditor to determine whether good practice is in place. The seven TICs in this study include learning, R&D, resources allocation, manufacturing, marketing, organization and strategic planning capabilities. Empirical data was acquired through a survey study of 200 manufacturing firms in the Hong Kong/Pearl River Delta (HK/PRD) region. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationships amon...
Innovation in Technology Management. The Key to Global Leadership. PICMET '97
Since China's open door policy, much of Hong Kong's low cost manufacturing industry has b... more Since China's open door policy, much of Hong Kong's low cost manufacturing industry has been relocated to China for cheap labor/land costs; however, attention to technology upgrading and innovative product development is largely neglected. Based on extensive survey findings, this paper analyses the quality, technology and innovative product development practices of HK/China manufacturing industries. It also recommends strategies for sustaining competitiveness in the global market of the 21st Century.
Quality transformation is a process to enhance the forms and patterns of quality activities. It a... more Quality transformation is a process to enhance the forms and patterns of quality activities. It affects the adoption of quality management (QM) practices in individual firms and governs the development trend of QM in a nation or region. With the open-door policy in China and the escalating land and labor costs in Hong Kong, much of the low-cost manufacturing activities in Hong Kong have been relocated to China since the 1980s. Transplanting operations to China needs to be an integrated transfer of technical, financial and management know-how, and in particular, the quality management concepts and practices. This paper reviews the quality development and transformation processes in Hong Kong/China manufacturing industries with special emphasis on the transfer of QM practices from Hong Kong to China during the critical period of extensive relocation of manufacturing operations. Before the 1990s, the QM practices in Hong Kong were unsatisfactory. In the early 1990s, the adoption and implementation of ISO 9000 systems had a significant impact on igniting the QM movement in Hong Kong. With the driving force of the ISO 9000 movement, many certified firms in Hong Kong have taken steps to adopt continuous quality improvement (CQI) strategies and are working toward total quality management (TQM). Many Hong Kong manufacturing firms in China have quickly adopted QM practices from their host companies. Hong Kong firms need to further assist their partners in China in committing to quality and increasing their own capability for continuous improvement. Achieving the long-term quality goal of TQM entails a very complex process with a wide range of effects. The currently adopted Hong Kong “ISO 9000-CQI-TQM” step-by-step quality model is recommended for China. The Chinese manufacturing industry in this paper refers specifically to the manufacturing operations in China with major investments from Hong Kong.
Abstract Importance measures can describe which component reliability change is the most promisin... more Abstract Importance measures can describe which component reliability change is the most promising if the system structure can be easily changed. Recently, the Birnbaum importance for reconfigurable systems based on the constant reliability has been discussed. This importance shows that importance variation corresponds to the change in system optimal configuration. Traditionally, importance measures do not consider the possible change in a system structure throughout the system's lifetime. However, the possible optimal structural change and the system's lifetime should be considered in importance measures, which can describe the change of component importance with respect to the changes of the component sequencing in optimal system structure during the system lifetime. This paper studies the Birnbaum importance measure, integrated importance measure, and Mean Absolute Deviation with respect to the changes in optimal system structure throughout the system's lifetime. These measures provide useful information regarding the relationships between component reliability and importance measures with the changes in optimal system structure. Finally, examples of linear consecutive- k -out-of- n systems are used to illustrate the utilization of the proposed method.
The formation, evolution, and dynamics of Industry–University–Research Institute (IUR) scientific... more The formation, evolution, and dynamics of Industry–University–Research Institute (IUR) scientific collaborations in China have not been uncovered fully in extant literature. This study seeks to fill this research gap based on a novel sample of the China Academy of Sciences (CAS) from an ego-network perspective and especially reveals the guiding role of government policies. By taking the inter-organizational scientific collaboration systems of the CAS with enterprises and universities as a proxy for IUR collaborations in China, we explore the dynamic evolution and characteristics of the IUR collaboration networks in China during the period from 1978 to 2015. Our study reveals a simultaneous trend in accordance with the effects of the government’s science and technology (S&T) policies on shaping the linkages among public research institutes, enterprises and universities during the last several decades. In particular, we find that S&T policies issued by the government may affect the dynamic evolution of the small-world structure in the scientific collaboration networks of public research institutes with enterprises and universities over time. This study enriches the empirical research on IUR collaborations in the context of China by examining the patterns of bilateral or trilateral collaborations between and among CAS with industries and universities around this country, which not only contributes to understanding the dynamic evolution of China’s IUR collaborations in the context of a series of government S&T policies but also helps deepen our understanding of the characteristics of China’s national innovation system.
Since China adopted its Open Door policy, many of the Hong Kong low cost manufacturing activities... more Since China adopted its Open Door policy, many of the Hong Kong low cost manufacturing activities have been relocated to China. This project analyses the strategic development of HK/China manufacturing industries in order to identify the measures necessary to preserve the role of HK for sustaining growth in HK/China manufacturing industries. The historical development of HK manufacturing industries, the economic reformation in China and the inseparable relationship of the two places have been analyzed. Previous studies in this field have concentrated on Hong Kong investments in China in aggregate. The purpose of this thesis is to take a specific look at the industrial sector in which Hong Kong has historically held international competitive advantages, i.e. its low cost light engineering manufacturing. This thesis investigates the reasons why it has been strategically beneficial for establishing Hong Kong industries with the emerging Chinese industries in the Pearl River Delta(PRD) by relocating HK production on a large scale. The benefits to each region are discussed and a future development model is derived for this sector. Strategic/operational attributes, i.e. quality, product, technology and logistics aspects, which are important to contribute to the complementary development of the industries in the two places have been studied in details through series of extensive questionnaire surveys and structured interviews. The heavy reliance on low cost approach with poor technology development so far adopted by HK manufacturers has been critically reviewed. The project concludes that the success of the current HK/China manufacturing industries is the results of the proper economic reformation policy adopted by China at the right time and in the right place. China reoriented its economic policy to "Growth through complete transfer of technology and management know how via foreign direct investment(FDI) with focus on light export-oriented manufacturing industries developed in PRD Special Economic Zone(SEZ) adjacent to HK." HK low cost manufacturing industries relocated to PRD at about the same time to resolve its ever escalating landllabour costs problems. To sustain growth and competitiveness, the quality experiences, i.e. 15O9000-CQITQM, gained in HK through the 1S09000 movement can form a good foundation for China to build up its quality capabilities. To cut costs, HK manufacturers can expand their operations beyond the major cities in PRD to other areas within PRD where logistic support has been improved. HK manufacturers need to migrate from the sole focus in low cost approach to emphasizing more new product and high technology development. Through the better utilization of the China's R&D talents and the commitment from HK manufacturers to gradually upgrade their new product and technology development, HK would be able to preserve its leading role to contribute to the development of HK/China manufacturing industries rather than being overtaken by the Chinese.
This paper discusses the growing demand of engineering management development in Hong Kong and th... more This paper discusses the growing demand of engineering management development in Hong Kong and the development of the Master Science course in Engineering Management at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.
The role of knowledge management in new product development is a hot research topic, yet the impa... more The role of knowledge management in new product development is a hot research topic, yet the impacts of knowledge assets and supply chain integration in terms of supplier coordination and customer coordination to product performance have to be empirically verified. This study aims to explore how knowledge assets of firms in terms of knowledge use and storage; and supplier/customer coordination affect product performance. The study used linear regression models to analyse data from 206 manufacturers. The findings show that knowledge assets have positive relationship with product performance. Customer coordination is found important in affecting product performance for those companies producing industrial products for other manufacturers, i.e. industrial product firms. However, for companies producing products to end-customers, dealers or retailers, i.e. consumer product firms, both supplier coordination and customer coordination are found not important in affecting product performance. The results give a new empirical examination on the role of knowledge management and supplier chain integration to product performance.
In today business, firms are riding on the wave of globalization to enhance competitiveness throu... more In today business, firms are riding on the wave of globalization to enhance competitiveness through business networking or corporate collaboration. Firms inevitably need to share knowledge among different business partners, in particular, during new product development (NPD). However, knowledge sharing itself would invite opportunism, i. e. knowledge being leaked to other parties or competitors, which is regarded as a threat for innovation. This is the dilemma facing today's global business. This study examines firm's competitiveness in relation to firm's commitment, knowledge sharing and potential opportunism. Data were collection through a questionnaire survey and the 220 valid responses were analysed using structural equation modelling. Our findings indicate that commitment among business partners would enhance knowledge sharing. Contradicting to many research findings, knowledge sharing among committed partner firms actually reduce rather than increase opportunism. Strong commitment between business partners encourages the willingness of firms to share knowledge and strengthen trust among firms which would subsequently reduce opportunism. This controversial finding is new to existing knowledge with strong managerial implication to encourage knowledge sharing among business partners.
2009 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 2009
The importance of purchasing and supply management (PSM) for business performance has received co... more The importance of purchasing and supply management (PSM) for business performance has received considerable attention. However, academic research on PSM training and education is inadequate. This paper presents initial findings from PSM practitioners in Hong Kong about current PSM training and education needs. The study identifies top five trends, skills and knowledge areas for PSM professionals. The results show that
ABSTRACT Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) is recognized as being an effective management ... more ABSTRACT Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) is recognized as being an effective management system that has an excellent planning and scheduling capability which can offer a dramatic increase in customer service, significant gains in productivity, much higher inventory turns, and a greater reduction in material costs. Many companies world-wide have attempted to implement MRPII systems. Many of them are now using MRPII with various level of satisfaction. However, failure of MRPII implementation was in fact experienced by other companies. This paper proposes an integrated system design and implementation approach to overcome the difficulties. It aims to formulate a standard process by combining strategic elements, problem definition, MRPII solutions, technical and procedural design, and implementation management in order to minimize the frustration and conflicts commonly found in MRPII implementation as well as to reduce disconnection among different stages of design and implementation. A hierarchical analysis technique using Integrated DEFinition Method (IDEF) is used to support the design and implementation management. The examples illustrated that it provides an invaluable support in the management of MRPII system.
Highlights The joint effect of maintenance cost and time on the system reliability is analyzed ... more Highlights The joint effect of maintenance cost and time on the system reliability is analyzed A cost-based IIM is proposed, and its characteristics are explored. An application to a wind turbine system is used to illustrate its usage.
For a generalized geometric process (GGP), the geometric ratio changes with the number of repairs... more For a generalized geometric process (GGP), the geometric ratio changes with the number of repairs rather than a constant. The GGP is a more flexible maintenance model that can reflect the varying of the repair effect to the system. On the basis of the GGP, two imperfect preventive maintenance (PM) models are studied. First, we assume that the system is preventively maintained periodically after every T time unit, and is correctively repaired at failure. The corrective repair is a minimal repair that just restores the system to work, while the PM results in a GGP, i.e., the lifetime sequence of a system after PM constitute a decreasing GGP. The long-run average cost rate C(N, T) of the system is derived, and the optimal bivariate policy (N * , T *) is determined by minimizing C(N, T), where N is the number of PMs before replacement. Next, a sequential PM model is investigated for a system in which a sequential time interval to be determined for PM. An algorithm is given to seek the optimal replacement policy N * and the optimal time intervals T * 1 , T * 2 ,. .. , T * N between PMs. By assuming that the lifetime of the system is Weibull distributed, the optimal policy is obtained explicitly. In both models, numerical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the approaches developed. Index Terms-Average cost rate (ACR), generalized geometric process (GGP), optimal policy, preventive maintenance (PM), replacement. NOMENCLATURE GP Geometric process. GGP Generalized geometric process. PM Preventive maintenance. CDF Cumulative distribution function. ACR Average cost rate. λ(t) Failure rate function of a new system. λ j (t) Failure rate function of a system after (j − 1)th PM. Λ(t) Cumulative damage function. Λ j (t) Cumulative damage function of a system after (j − 1)th PM. a n Geometric ratio of the nth PM.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2015
Purpose – In today’s market, firms are riding on the wave of globalisation to enhance competitive... more Purpose – In today’s market, firms are riding on the wave of globalisation to enhance competitiveness through corporate collaboration in new product development (NPD). In joint NPD, huge amounts of information and knowledge are interchanged among business partners. However, industrial experience and past research have indicated that knowledge sharing among firms invite opportunism, that is, knowledge being leaked or misused by others. To determine the means to rectify the problems of opportunism in joint NPD, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of commitment and knowledge sharing on opportunism. Design/methodology/approach – An online questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the research model with 312 valid responses from manufacturing firms. The survey data were analysed by structural equation modelling, and the findings were verified by follow-up interviews. Findings – Contradictory to most studies, this study finds that knowledge sharing among committed bu...
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2010
PurposeWhile the beneficial impact of supply chain integration (SCI) and modular product design a... more PurposeWhile the beneficial impact of supply chain integration (SCI) and modular product design are generally acknowledged, few empirical studies have examined how an organization can achieve better performance through SCI with modular product design. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between SCI and modular product design, as well as their impact on product performance.Design/methodology/approachBy surveying 251 manufacturers in Hong Kong, structural equation modelling is used to test the research constructs and the hypothesized model.FindingsThe results confirm that information sharing, product co‐development and organizational coordination are crucial organizational processes within SCI. Companies that have high levels of product modularity appear to be good at product co‐development and organizational coordination directly and at information sharing indirectly. Furthermore, companies that have high levels of product co‐development or product modularity app...
A new approach for improving the wear performances of nylon 6 (PA6)/clay nanocomposites was exami... more A new approach for improving the wear performances of nylon 6 (PA6)/clay nanocomposites was examined in this study. Two hybrid nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) and a well-dispersed PA6/clay nanocomposite, but with and without the incorporation of maleicanhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) as compatibilizer. The addition of MAPP improved the compatibility between TLCP and matrix and thus enhanced the fibrillation of dispersed TLCP phase. Wear-testing results revealed that the wear resistance of the compatibilized hybrid nanocomposite could be improved effectively, as indicated by the low values of specific wear rate and frictional coefficient, especially under high-normal load (i.e., 80 N). Based on the characterization on the worn damage and the debris, it was suggested that abrasive wear was the main-damage mechanism for all the materials under investigation, except for the compatibilized hybrid nanocomposite. For this system, the wear damage was caused by a combination of abrasive and adhesive wearing because of the formation of transfer film on the counter pin surface from the wear debris.
... Continuous state reliability models assume that the state of the device can be repre-sented b... more ... Continuous state reliability models assume that the state of the device can be repre-sented by a continuous variable. ... Charlesworth & Rao [2] use multistate fault trees to ap-proximate the reliability of a continuous state system. ...
Algorithms have been available for exact performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems... more Algorithms have been available for exact performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems. However, especially for complex systems with a large number of components, and a large number of possible states, obtaining "reliability bounds" would be an interesting, significant issue. Reliability bounds will give us a range of the system reliability in a much shorter computation time, which allow us to make decisions more efficiently. The systems under consideration are multi-state k-out-of-n systems with i.i.d. components. We will focus on the probability of the system in states below a certain state d, denoted by Qsd. Based on the recursive algorithm proposed by Zuo & Tian [14] for performance evaluation of multi-state k-out-of-n systems with i.i.d. components, a reliability bounding approach is developed in this paper. The upper, and lower bounds of Qsd are calculated by reducing the length of the k vector when using the recursive algorithm. Using the bounding approach, we can obtain a good estimate of the exact Qsd value while significantly reducing the computation time. This approach is attractive, especially to complex systems with a large number of components, and a large number of possible states. A numerical example is used to illustrate the significance of the proposed bounding approach.
Abstract In this study, a kind of novel all-cellulose ecocomposites based on cellulose and rice h... more Abstract In this study, a kind of novel all-cellulose ecocomposites based on cellulose and rice husk (RH) has been prepared by using green solvent, ionic liquid (IL), as processing medium. Due to the presence of the RH, these ecocomposites also contain an inorganic ...
In this article, we report a novel surface modification method for cellulose fiber that is based ... more In this article, we report a novel surface modification method for cellulose fiber that is based on supramolecular assembly.-Cyclodextrin (-CD) was first covalently grafted onto the fiber surface. Then poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) oligomers having both ends capped with adamantane motifs (i.e., PCL-AD) were immobilized to the cellulose fiber surface through the host-guest inclusion complexation between-CD and AD motif. FTIR-ATR and XPS analyses confirmed the successful assembly of PCL-ADs, which was further supported by the increasing trend of weight gain with the concentration of CDs on the fiber surface. Contact angle and TGA measurements reflect the enhanced hydrophobicity and thermal stability of the cellulose fiber as a consequence of this modification. The morphologies of the cellulose fiber before and after the assembly process have also been compared by SEM.
Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of... more Technological innovation capability (TIC) is defined as a comprehensive set of characteristics of a firm that facilities and supports its technological innovation strategies. An audit to evaluate the TICs of a firm may trigger improvement in its future practices. Such an audit can be used by the firm for self assessment or third-party independent assessment to identify problems of its capability status. This paper attempts to develop such an auditing framework that can help to determine the subtle links between innovation capabilities and business performance; and to enable the auditor to determine whether good practice is in place. The seven TICs in this study include learning, R&D, resources allocation, manufacturing, marketing, organization and strategic planning capabilities. Empirical data was acquired through a survey study of 200 manufacturing firms in the Hong Kong/Pearl River Delta (HK/PRD) region. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the relationships amon...
Innovation in Technology Management. The Key to Global Leadership. PICMET '97
Since China's open door policy, much of Hong Kong's low cost manufacturing industry has b... more Since China's open door policy, much of Hong Kong's low cost manufacturing industry has been relocated to China for cheap labor/land costs; however, attention to technology upgrading and innovative product development is largely neglected. Based on extensive survey findings, this paper analyses the quality, technology and innovative product development practices of HK/China manufacturing industries. It also recommends strategies for sustaining competitiveness in the global market of the 21st Century.
Quality transformation is a process to enhance the forms and patterns of quality activities. It a... more Quality transformation is a process to enhance the forms and patterns of quality activities. It affects the adoption of quality management (QM) practices in individual firms and governs the development trend of QM in a nation or region. With the open-door policy in China and the escalating land and labor costs in Hong Kong, much of the low-cost manufacturing activities in Hong Kong have been relocated to China since the 1980s. Transplanting operations to China needs to be an integrated transfer of technical, financial and management know-how, and in particular, the quality management concepts and practices. This paper reviews the quality development and transformation processes in Hong Kong/China manufacturing industries with special emphasis on the transfer of QM practices from Hong Kong to China during the critical period of extensive relocation of manufacturing operations. Before the 1990s, the QM practices in Hong Kong were unsatisfactory. In the early 1990s, the adoption and implementation of ISO 9000 systems had a significant impact on igniting the QM movement in Hong Kong. With the driving force of the ISO 9000 movement, many certified firms in Hong Kong have taken steps to adopt continuous quality improvement (CQI) strategies and are working toward total quality management (TQM). Many Hong Kong manufacturing firms in China have quickly adopted QM practices from their host companies. Hong Kong firms need to further assist their partners in China in committing to quality and increasing their own capability for continuous improvement. Achieving the long-term quality goal of TQM entails a very complex process with a wide range of effects. The currently adopted Hong Kong “ISO 9000-CQI-TQM” step-by-step quality model is recommended for China. The Chinese manufacturing industry in this paper refers specifically to the manufacturing operations in China with major investments from Hong Kong.
Abstract Importance measures can describe which component reliability change is the most promisin... more Abstract Importance measures can describe which component reliability change is the most promising if the system structure can be easily changed. Recently, the Birnbaum importance for reconfigurable systems based on the constant reliability has been discussed. This importance shows that importance variation corresponds to the change in system optimal configuration. Traditionally, importance measures do not consider the possible change in a system structure throughout the system's lifetime. However, the possible optimal structural change and the system's lifetime should be considered in importance measures, which can describe the change of component importance with respect to the changes of the component sequencing in optimal system structure during the system lifetime. This paper studies the Birnbaum importance measure, integrated importance measure, and Mean Absolute Deviation with respect to the changes in optimal system structure throughout the system's lifetime. These measures provide useful information regarding the relationships between component reliability and importance measures with the changes in optimal system structure. Finally, examples of linear consecutive- k -out-of- n systems are used to illustrate the utilization of the proposed method.
The formation, evolution, and dynamics of Industry–University–Research Institute (IUR) scientific... more The formation, evolution, and dynamics of Industry–University–Research Institute (IUR) scientific collaborations in China have not been uncovered fully in extant literature. This study seeks to fill this research gap based on a novel sample of the China Academy of Sciences (CAS) from an ego-network perspective and especially reveals the guiding role of government policies. By taking the inter-organizational scientific collaboration systems of the CAS with enterprises and universities as a proxy for IUR collaborations in China, we explore the dynamic evolution and characteristics of the IUR collaboration networks in China during the period from 1978 to 2015. Our study reveals a simultaneous trend in accordance with the effects of the government’s science and technology (S&T) policies on shaping the linkages among public research institutes, enterprises and universities during the last several decades. In particular, we find that S&T policies issued by the government may affect the dynamic evolution of the small-world structure in the scientific collaboration networks of public research institutes with enterprises and universities over time. This study enriches the empirical research on IUR collaborations in the context of China by examining the patterns of bilateral or trilateral collaborations between and among CAS with industries and universities around this country, which not only contributes to understanding the dynamic evolution of China’s IUR collaborations in the context of a series of government S&T policies but also helps deepen our understanding of the characteristics of China’s national innovation system.
Since China adopted its Open Door policy, many of the Hong Kong low cost manufacturing activities... more Since China adopted its Open Door policy, many of the Hong Kong low cost manufacturing activities have been relocated to China. This project analyses the strategic development of HK/China manufacturing industries in order to identify the measures necessary to preserve the role of HK for sustaining growth in HK/China manufacturing industries. The historical development of HK manufacturing industries, the economic reformation in China and the inseparable relationship of the two places have been analyzed. Previous studies in this field have concentrated on Hong Kong investments in China in aggregate. The purpose of this thesis is to take a specific look at the industrial sector in which Hong Kong has historically held international competitive advantages, i.e. its low cost light engineering manufacturing. This thesis investigates the reasons why it has been strategically beneficial for establishing Hong Kong industries with the emerging Chinese industries in the Pearl River Delta(PRD) by relocating HK production on a large scale. The benefits to each region are discussed and a future development model is derived for this sector. Strategic/operational attributes, i.e. quality, product, technology and logistics aspects, which are important to contribute to the complementary development of the industries in the two places have been studied in details through series of extensive questionnaire surveys and structured interviews. The heavy reliance on low cost approach with poor technology development so far adopted by HK manufacturers has been critically reviewed. The project concludes that the success of the current HK/China manufacturing industries is the results of the proper economic reformation policy adopted by China at the right time and in the right place. China reoriented its economic policy to "Growth through complete transfer of technology and management know how via foreign direct investment(FDI) with focus on light export-oriented manufacturing industries developed in PRD Special Economic Zone(SEZ) adjacent to HK." HK low cost manufacturing industries relocated to PRD at about the same time to resolve its ever escalating landllabour costs problems. To sustain growth and competitiveness, the quality experiences, i.e. 15O9000-CQITQM, gained in HK through the 1S09000 movement can form a good foundation for China to build up its quality capabilities. To cut costs, HK manufacturers can expand their operations beyond the major cities in PRD to other areas within PRD where logistic support has been improved. HK manufacturers need to migrate from the sole focus in low cost approach to emphasizing more new product and high technology development. Through the better utilization of the China's R&D talents and the commitment from HK manufacturers to gradually upgrade their new product and technology development, HK would be able to preserve its leading role to contribute to the development of HK/China manufacturing industries rather than being overtaken by the Chinese.
This paper discusses the growing demand of engineering management development in Hong Kong and th... more This paper discusses the growing demand of engineering management development in Hong Kong and the development of the Master Science course in Engineering Management at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.
The role of knowledge management in new product development is a hot research topic, yet the impa... more The role of knowledge management in new product development is a hot research topic, yet the impacts of knowledge assets and supply chain integration in terms of supplier coordination and customer coordination to product performance have to be empirically verified. This study aims to explore how knowledge assets of firms in terms of knowledge use and storage; and supplier/customer coordination affect product performance. The study used linear regression models to analyse data from 206 manufacturers. The findings show that knowledge assets have positive relationship with product performance. Customer coordination is found important in affecting product performance for those companies producing industrial products for other manufacturers, i.e. industrial product firms. However, for companies producing products to end-customers, dealers or retailers, i.e. consumer product firms, both supplier coordination and customer coordination are found not important in affecting product performance. The results give a new empirical examination on the role of knowledge management and supplier chain integration to product performance.
In today business, firms are riding on the wave of globalization to enhance competitiveness throu... more In today business, firms are riding on the wave of globalization to enhance competitiveness through business networking or corporate collaboration. Firms inevitably need to share knowledge among different business partners, in particular, during new product development (NPD). However, knowledge sharing itself would invite opportunism, i. e. knowledge being leaked to other parties or competitors, which is regarded as a threat for innovation. This is the dilemma facing today's global business. This study examines firm's competitiveness in relation to firm's commitment, knowledge sharing and potential opportunism. Data were collection through a questionnaire survey and the 220 valid responses were analysed using structural equation modelling. Our findings indicate that commitment among business partners would enhance knowledge sharing. Contradicting to many research findings, knowledge sharing among committed partner firms actually reduce rather than increase opportunism. Strong commitment between business partners encourages the willingness of firms to share knowledge and strengthen trust among firms which would subsequently reduce opportunism. This controversial finding is new to existing knowledge with strong managerial implication to encourage knowledge sharing among business partners.
2009 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 2009
The importance of purchasing and supply management (PSM) for business performance has received co... more The importance of purchasing and supply management (PSM) for business performance has received considerable attention. However, academic research on PSM training and education is inadequate. This paper presents initial findings from PSM practitioners in Hong Kong about current PSM training and education needs. The study identifies top five trends, skills and knowledge areas for PSM professionals. The results show that
ABSTRACT Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) is recognized as being an effective management ... more ABSTRACT Manufacturing Resources Planning (MRPII) is recognized as being an effective management system that has an excellent planning and scheduling capability which can offer a dramatic increase in customer service, significant gains in productivity, much higher inventory turns, and a greater reduction in material costs. Many companies world-wide have attempted to implement MRPII systems. Many of them are now using MRPII with various level of satisfaction. However, failure of MRPII implementation was in fact experienced by other companies. This paper proposes an integrated system design and implementation approach to overcome the difficulties. It aims to formulate a standard process by combining strategic elements, problem definition, MRPII solutions, technical and procedural design, and implementation management in order to minimize the frustration and conflicts commonly found in MRPII implementation as well as to reduce disconnection among different stages of design and implementation. A hierarchical analysis technique using Integrated DEFinition Method (IDEF) is used to support the design and implementation management. The examples illustrated that it provides an invaluable support in the management of MRPII system.
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